On February 28, 1996, a 25-year-old tree trimmer was electrocuted when he contacted a 7,600
volt overhead power line while clearing a loose branch from a tree. The incident occurred at a
private home where the company had just finished removing a tree from the back yard. The crew
had completed the job and was beginning to clean the site when they noticed a loose branch
hanging from a neighbor's tree. Using a climbing harness, the victim tied onto the ball of a crane
line and was raised up to the hanging branch, which he cut down. As he was being lowered to the
ground, the victim noticed a second loose branch hanging on another tree. The victim had started
to swing toward the branch while on the crane line when he contacted a primary power line and
was electrocuted. NJ FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in
the future, these safety guidelines should be followed:

Employers should ensure that a minimum clearance of 10 feet is maintained between cranes and
energized power lines.

Employers should ensure that crane operators are properly trained before using the machinery.

Employers and employees should be aware of the dangers of drugs and other substances that
may impair judgement or alertness.

Employers should be aware of educational and training resources for health and safety
information.

INTRODUCTION

On February 29, 1996, New Jersey FACE personnel were notified by a compliance officer from
the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of a work-related fatality that
occurred the day before. After contacting the employer, a NJ FACE investigator was granted
permission to observe the employer and employee interviews conducted at the OSHA area office
on March 1, 1996. Following the interviews, the FACE investigator accompanied the OSHA
compliance officers to the incident site. The site was examined and photographed, and
investigators briefly spoke with neighbors about the incident. The employer interview was
completed by telephone on April 29, 1996. Additional information was obtained from OSHA,
the police report, and the medical examiner's report.

The employer was a small tree trimming company that had been in business for ten years and
employed 15 workers. The company's job training program was primarily on-the-job training
supplemented with videos on safety and other topics. Workers were also sent to various training
courses and seminars. The victim was a 25-year-old male tree trimmer and climber who had
worked for the company for 3½ years. Prior to this job, he had worked as a carpenter. The
employer stated that the victim had completed a two-week course in aboriculture which included
electrical hazard awareness training in July 1994.

INVESTIGATION

The incident occurred on the street in the front of a private home in a suburban residential
neighborhood. In October 1995, the owner of the home contracted with the tree trimming
company to remove a large maple tree in the back yard that had weakened due to age and rot.
The company looked over the tree and estimated the job, but was unable to remove the tree until
after the winter. In February 1996, the owner of the house again contacted the tree trimming
company to remove a second maple tree that had been split in a storm. The damaged maple was
one of several trees growing beside the front curb near the street. Running behind the trees
parallel to the curb were a series of overhead utility lines, with the topmost being a single 7,500
volt primary power line (see Figure 1). On Saturday, February 24, the owner of the company and
an employee went to the site and tied the split tree to stabilize it. A crew returned the following
Monday and finished removing the tree with the use of a cherry-picker truck. The owner of the
house also asked the company to remove the large maple tree in the back yard that they had
estimated the previous October. On Wednesday, February 26, the company sent a crew to
remove the tree.

The day of the incident was cool, clear, and damp from an earlier rain. A crew of four consisting
of a foreman, crane operator, climber (the victim), and a groundsman arrived at about 7:30 a.m.
After looking over the job, they positioned the crane in the driveway where it could reach the tree
in the backyard and set up the chipper and log truck in the street in front of the house. The
foreman put on his climbing harness, attached it to the crane line near the ball and hook, and was
lifted by the crane to the top of the tree that they were removing. He then tied himself off to the
tree and started to trim the branches. After removing the branches, the foreman used a sling to
attach the crane line to the trunk of the tree and cut the trunk off below the sling. This left the
section of trunk supported by the crane line, which was lifted over the house and lowered to the
ground. This method was used to cut down the rest of the tree while the remainder of the crew
worked at removing and chipping the branches.

After the tree was cut down, the foreman proceeded to remove the tree stump. The victim
brought a saw over to the foreman, who then noticed a loose branch hanging from a neighbor's
pin-oak tree across the street. The foreman asked the victim to take care of it and returned to
cutting the stump. The victim borrowed the foreman's climbing harness, attached himself to the
crane line, and was lifted up about 40 feet to the hanging branch which he cut down. At about
10:00 a.m., the victim was being lowered to the ground when he saw a second branch hanging on
the maple tree near the utility lines. When the victim was about 15 feet from the ground, he began
to swing on the crane line and reach for the hanging branch. On his second attempt, the crane
operator saw a flash of light as the victim slumped back in his harness.

The crane operator immediately started to lower the victim to the ground. The groundsman came
over and helped guide the victim the last few feet to the ground. The foreman, who had been
talking to a neighbor, removed the victim's gear and checked his vital signs. At this time the
victim was unconscious and had labored breathing. The foreman called 911 on a neighbor's
phone while another worker called for help on the truck radio. The police arrived a few minutes
later and started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation after the victim when into cardiac arrest. The
paramedics and ambulance arrived soon after, took over treatment, and transported the victim to
the local hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:57 a.m.

Investigations by the area OSHA office and power company could not conclusively determine the
point or manner of contact with the power line. The electrical burns noted in the ME report
indicate that the power entered through the victim's right hand and exited through his hip region
(presumably grounding into the crane cable). This suggests that the victim may have contacted
the power line directly, or, it is possible that the tree contacted the power line, with the electricity
passing through the tree and to the victim when he grabbed at the branch.

CAUSE OF DEATH

The county medical examiner determined the cause of death to be from accidental electrocution
while trimming a tree. The ME report noted electrical entrance burns on the victim's right hand,
and electrical exit burns on his right hip region.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS

Recommendation # 1: Employers should ensure that a minimum clearance of 10 feet is
maintained between cranes and energized power lines.

Discussion: One factor of this incident was the inadequate clearance between the crane and the
power line. This hazard is addressed in the federal OSHA standards 29 CFR 1910.181 (j)(I)(ii)
(general industry) and 29 CFR 1926.550 (a)(15)(I)(ii) (construction industry) which requires a
minimum clearance of ten feet from power lines up to 50,000 volts and greater clearances for lines
with higher voltages. In addition, the New Jersey High-Voltage Proximity Act (N.J.S.A. 34:6-47.1) requires a minimum clearance of six feet from power lines exceeding 750 volts.

Recommendation #2: Employers should ensure that crane operators are properly trained before
using the machinery.

Discussion: Although he had experience from his previous job, the crane operator had not
received any formal training from the company in operating the equipment. He was also
apparently unaware of the OSHA regulations on operating the crane near power lines and lifting
personnel on crane lines. To ensure the safety of the equipment operators and crews, FACE
recommends that employers properly train the equipment operators before allowing them to
operate the machinery. If the employers are unable to provide this training, they may need to get
assistance from the equipment manufacturer or an outside training agency.

Discussion: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published an
alert after studying a number of electrocutions involving cranes and overhead power lines. This
alert presents case studies and gives recommendations for preventing future incidents. Some of
these recommendations include:

Training crane operators and participating in crane safety programs.

Knowing the location and voltage of all nearby power lines.

Assume all lines are energized and maintain the minimum clearance required by OSHA.

Designating a spotter to warn the operator if the crane approaches the power lines.

Notifying the power line owners and requesting that they deenergizing the lines.

Discussion: Prior to starting a job, employers should conduct a daily job hazard analysis with their
employees to identify potential hazards. This would include looking over the job site for potential
safety hazards such as the location of power lines, fall hazards, loose branches, and other
problems. Once identified, these hazards can be corrected or avoided before starting work.

Recommendation #5: Employers and employees should be aware of the dangers of drugs and
other substances that may impair judgment or alertness.

Discussion: The medical examiner's report noted a positive toxicology for drugs in the victim's
blood. The FACE investigation did not determine if the victim was under the influence or the
extent that this may have contributed to the incident. However, the FACE project recommends
that employers and employees should be aware of the dangers that drugs (including prescription,
non-prescription, and illegal drugs) and alcohol may present in the workplace. Safety training
should include strong warnings about the use of drugs that may impair a worker's
judgment, alertness, and physical abilities.

Recommendation #6: Employers should be aware of educational and training resources for health
and safety information.

Discussion: It is important that employers obtain current information on OSHA regulations and
methods of ensuring safe working conditions. Because it is often difficult for a small business to
obtain this type of information, the following sources may be helpful:

The Committee for the Advancement of Arboriculture. This organization offers courses on basic
and advanced tree climbing and other pertinent courses in tree safety and arboriculture. For
information, contact David Shaw, Monmouth County Shade Tree Commission, P.O. Box 1255,
Freehold, NJ 07728-1255. The telephone number is (908) 431-7903.

National Arborists' Association offers videos on safety and a manual titled "Tailgate Safety for
Tree Care Professionals." The address of the Association is The Meeting Place Mall, Route
101/P.O. Box 1094, Amherst, NH 03031-1094. The phone number is (603) 673-3311.

U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA:

On request, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will provide
information on safety standards and requirements. OSHA has several offices in New Jersey which
cover the following areas:

NJDOL OSHA Consultative Services: The New Jersey Department of Labor OSHA Consultative
Service will provide free consultation to business owners on improving health and safety in the
workplace and complying with OSHA standards. Their telephone number is (609) 292-3922.

New Jersey State Safety Council: The NJ Safety Council provides a variety of courses on work-related safety. There is a charge for the seminars. Their address and telephone number is 6
Commerce Drive, Cranford, New Jersey 07016, telephone (908) 272-7712

Other Sources: Local utility companies offer seminars for tree trimmers in avoiding electrical
hazards. Trade organizations and labor unions are a good source of information on suppliers of
safety equipment and training.